Tuesday, December 7, 2010

12.07.2010 - News

CRI: 'Let the Bullets Fly' Premieres in Beijing

CRI: Lu Chuan Holds Auditions for Next Female Lead
"King's Feast" will reprise a banquet in 206 B.C. known in historical books as the Banquet of Hongmen (Hongmen Yan). Xiang Yu, an influential military leader at the time, attempted to murder his rival, Liu Bang, during the banquet. Yuji was Xiang Yu's concubine.

CRI: 'All's Well, Ends Well' Releases Cartoon Trailer

Raymond Wong

Louis Koo

Carina Lau

Cecilia Cheung (Sina)


FBA: My Ex-Wife's Wedding (跟我的前妻談戀愛) (3/10)
Fluffy Beijing rom-com substitutes frantic technique for emotional substance.

Benny Chan's martial arts film Shaolin has had its China release date pushed back to 19 Jan 2011 from its previously announced December slot.


Posters for The Kidnap (The Kidnapped) from Golden Harvest


Chapman To

Sun Xing
Sun Xing

Ye Yiqian

Li Fei-Er
(Sina), 2, 3, 4, 5

Huang Yi


Huang Yi is in Beijing recording the theme song for The Road Less Travelled. Huang plays a pregnant woman whose husband is killed by a car driven by Louis Koo. She gradually develops feelings for him and causes his break up with girlfriend Karen Mok. The film is directed by Derek Chiu. (Sina)

US embassy cables: China's next leader reveals taste for Hollywood movies
(Thanks, to Joyce for forwarding me this link!)
The [2007] cable relates a dinner conversation between America's ambassador to China and Xi Jinping, expected to be the next president when Hu Jintao stands down at the end of his term.

A WWII Hollywood Movie Aficionado
22. (C) The Ambassador also asked Secretary Xi about his recent movie viewing, recalling that Xi had told him in their meeting one year ago that he had recently seen and tremendously enjoyed "Saving Private Ryan." Had Secretary Xi seen other recent American movies that he had enjoyed? Xi replied that he already owns the "Flags of Our Fathers" DVD, but hopes to view it during the Lunar New Year holidays had gone unfulfilled. He had seen and enjoyed "The Departed." Xi said he particularly likes Hollywood movies about World War II and hopes Hollywood will continue to make them. Hollywood makes those movies well, and such Hollywood movies are grand and truthful. Americans have a clear outlook on values and clearly demarcate between good and evil. In American movies, good usually prevails. In contrast, "Curse of the Golden Flower," a recently popular Chinese movie directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li (she of "Miami Vice" movie stardom) had been confusing to Xi. Some Chinese moviemakers neglect values they should promote.

23. (C) America is a powerful nation in terms of culture because Americans say what they should say, Xi elaborated. Too many Chinese moviemakers cater to foreigners' interests or preconceptions, sometimes vulgarly so. He criticized Zhang Yimou by name as well as the kungfu action movie genre. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Wu Ji" [The Promise] and imperial palace intrigues -- all are the same, talking about bad things in imperial palaces. Most are not nominated for Oscars or other awards, so to some extent it can be said that such movies are not worth very much. The Ambassador noted that a Chinese film about HIV/AIDS orphans had just garnered the Oscar for best short documentary [Ruby Yang's The Blood of Yingzhou District]. Xi expressed awareness of the movie, noting that the director is a female overseas Chinese (but Xi never said whether he had seen that documentary). Xi recalled that a low cost, very good Chinese movie by the director Jia Zhangke had recently won a Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. Returning to "Flags of Our Fathers," Xi said he had come to understand that the flag raising on Iwo Jima did not mark the end of the battle. The Japanese were still in holes and caves and the battle continued. He expressed particular admiration for WWII movies set in the Pacific theater of operations and expressed a strong desire to visit Guadalcanal. FBA: China film policy through new eyes

Look for more Li Bingbing in the January issue of Vogue


An odd trio?
Edison Chen, Shu Qi and Connie Chan Po-Chu appear at a fund-raising event for the Hong Kong Leukemia Foundation. 



THR: Zhang Ziyi Named Actress of the Decade


Nicholas Tse, at birthday party (1993)

Nicholas Tse 
Someone recently posted old photos on Weibo of Nicholas Tse attending a friend's birthday party.


Carina Lau, Yang Lan, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

Carina Lau and Yang Lang, a noted TV interviewer and businesswoman


(Dec. 7) Tony Leung took a break from The Grandmasters to join wife Carina Lau in Shanghai for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Tomorrow is Carina's birthday.



Jackie Chan throws mushy surprise birthday party for son
MSN: Barbie Hsu banks in millions endorsing a soya bean milk franchise
Barbie had been working nonstop this year. The movies she shot previously in China are being released consecutively. She is also currently filming The Kingdom, Giant Looking for Millions and Wei Shi Lu.

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